Tag Archives: politics

So many topics that could be covered on a Sunday night. The one most relevant to the day itself is that it is Father’s Day. Having been blessed with a father who has given me a life full of love, support, encouragement and the occasional hard question to make me think, I can honestly say Happy Father’s Day! Dad, you are half the reason I am where I am today (with Mum being the other half of course!). You have lead an amazing life, taken us on great adventures, and lived with integrity, intelligence, generosity and compassion. Thank you. I am very proud to call you Dad, and so pleased that my children have you as an Opa.

Father’s Day can be a bit tricky for my chicks, especially while their father is out of the country, but this year the day has passed without drama. They talked to their Dad on Skype, showed him the cards and messages they had written (which I am to scan and send) and that was enough for them. Time does heal a few wounds.

My day started in a beautiful way when I opened my email to find a gift voucher from a fellow blogger – her gift to thank me for supporting her blog for her first year! So generous and thoughtful! She is also running a great giveaway to celebrate her first year blogoversary, so head over to visit Michelle at Factotum of Arts and enjoy her lovely take on crafts (she has been making the most beautiful quilt blocks) and enter her giveaway!

My attempts to find rhythm in life to dance through it all have been more successful this week. I have lifted myself out of the little mire of self pity I had sunk into, had some tough conversations (including with myself!) and the results have been positive! (The beginning of Spring hasn’t hurt either!) Remembering to let go and enjoy the ride meant that a quick trip to pick up the boy from a play at a friend’s house turned into a 5 hour visit complete with wine, bonfire, a dinner stretched to include us too, and lots of laughing. Then this morning the kids and I went on a spontaneous adventure to the recycling shop at the local tip. The kids had a ball, imagining what they could do with the various pieces of discarded ‘stuff’ they found. We found a folding screen that I will do some work on to create a screen to use at my market stall, and a set of mini-shelves which will also be useful in a market display. A successful adventure! Not a lot of sewing happened with our various impromptu adventures, but we had a lot of fun!

The Spring weather has also meant more time outside. The youngest two chicks set off on their bikes for a ride in the bush this afternoon, and the middle chick took the dog for a walk around the block this evening – just because! The girls had their last hockey game for the season yesterday, so with the great weather and the lifting of the weekend sporting commitments, a camping weekend will be in order very, very soon!! Something about the sun being out and the air being lighter has me wanting to clean the house out, to make lists of things that need to be done, to renovate the front garden, to plant the vege patch, to oil the decks, to sew and sew and sew………… just need to find the time……..

While I have been pottering around doing bits and pieces of sewing I have also been doing a lot of thinking. Here in Australia it is one week out from our federal election. At a time when our country is actually not doing too badly overall, but when there is always a bit more that can be improved in health, education, our finances, etc, both major political parties are letting me down. Both have come up with policies on how we as a country should treat people who arrive on boats seeking refuge. Both are appalling. If the political parties are aiming at reaching the majority of Australians, then I am very sad, because it means that they think that the majority of Australians are racist, lacking in compassion, lacking in morals, and lacking in intellect. I really hope that they are wrong.

In addition to the appalling policy on refugees, both parties have consistently shown a lack of compassion in how they want to treat the less advantaged (or potentially marginalised) in society. Single parents, refugees, women, immigrants and low income earners have all come under fire in the various policies announced, or in the off-the-cuff remarks of the leaders. If some of the policies were aimed at long term improvements I could probably understand it, but each of the policies I read about has a smell of being whipped up to score short-term points, with little depth or long term benefits to flow from it. So disappointing, and so depressing. Our choices for the leader of our country appear to be between a misogynist racist gaffe maker and an angry bitter man. Voting will be so difficult. Let’s hope that which ever party wins remembers to be compassionate and to put the needs of the people ahead of point scoring.

I haven’t managed to finish sewing anything to share with you tonight, but can report doing a lot of work on my overlocker trying to get the tension right. Grrrr…… After completely re-threading it (again) I have almost got it right, but there is still a little bit more tinkering to be done.

Could this be a post without any photos? Surely not! So here is one of the first part of the creativity suitcase I am making for a special little friend’s birthday. I should have it finished in the next couple of days. I am enjoying making it!

This week is fresh with possibilities! Nothing in particular planned, so maybe some time to tackle that long list of things I am inspired to do……. Here’s hoping!

I hope that your week starts off with a kick of Spring energy and a dash of spontaneous fun!

Tonight is certainly a night of changes in Australian politics with a change in the leadership of the Labour Party, and therefore in the role of Prime Minister. Not our finest moment as a country. The changes that follow will be interesting, especially as it is likely that the election will happen sooner. I am not particularly ‘political’ but being a public servant, and working in the nation’s capital, you end up being a bit of an interested bystander to it all! On a very superficial note, our just-ousted Prime Minister had just had a series of photos done where she was playing with her dog and knitting. They were the best ones yet as far as this little crafter was concerned! Oh well – wonder if the new Prime Minister will take up crochet to corner the same market? Probably not.

The other change of pace in the house is that I am putting down my personal projects for a short time while I concentrate on making costumes for the eldest chick’s class entry in the annual Wakakirri competition. This is a national competition which, for the primary schools, is a story dance competition. Our school enters with the Year 5 classes each year, and this year is our first as a family. Parents and teachers help out with costumes, props, sets, etc. Sort of unsurprisingly, but still a bit sad, only 5 parents (out of a possible 50+ households) indicated that they could sew…… so the five of us are responsible for making the 80 odd costumes (apparently they change during the performance.) So over the next two weeks I am making tunics, capes and other wonderous things. To keep costs down we are using polycotton – and after months of only sewing with 100% cotton it feels quite strange!

I am not the organiser of costumes (I am realistic enough about my restricted availability that I have finally learnt not to put my hand up for everything!) but did have one moment of success in contributing on the weekend. My friend who is organising the costumes said that she had been looking for a wedding dress in the charity shops, but they were still relatively expensive. She didn’t want to ask anyone at school to donate their dress as they are traditionally kept. I agreed, saying that while my marriage might not have lasted, I was still keeping the dress for my girls to have, if they want it. Then, while sitting through the hours of martial arts grading on the weekend I had a brainwave and put a call out on the freecycle network. I had two responses within half an hour! I picked up one dress that had been handed down as a ‘back-up’ through a family member and then stored for a few years, and another that had never been worn, and came with two bridesmaids dresses, also never worn. (I didn’t ask for the full story but was intrigued!!) So we now have plenty of fabric for the costume that is required, plus metres and metres of tulle and satin rosettes to be used for our craft stall later in the year! My girls were quite intrigued with the older dress and how ‘big and foofy it is’. I explained the concept of the ‘meringue dress’ (a la Four Weddings and a Funeral) to them and they were highly amused!

The good news is that the other change in this house is that I am finally healthy again! I had my first day back at work today and although I am exhausted, I made it through the day! The virus was nasty but I appear to have beaten it! I knew I was well again when I was able to sew. A personalised superhero cape for a little girl in Tasmania was finally made and sent yesterday. I think we should all have one tucked away in our wardrobes, no matter how old we are!

Being sick did give me time to think about this blog more though and I finally worked out how to have a link at the top of the page straight to my Etsy shop, and one to my Pinterest boards! A little change, but one that took me ages to work out!

I have also found another way to combat the winter blues in a small way and have finally bought a heated clothes airer (a drying rack that heats up)! So that is one less basket of wet washing sitting around the kitchen (and a bit more dry washing for me to fold!)

Even with all these little changes, the week is going well (unless you are in the Australian Labour Party of course!) I hope that your week is going well too!

the little bird

Welcome to a little bird made me! I am Theresa, the little bird who makes things. My other labels include mother of three, owner of dogs, sheep and chickens, grower of plants, autism parent, hoarder of fabric and yarn, retired lawyer, maker of all sorts of things that take my fancy, lover of a good gin and tonic, and tea addict. I am based in rural New South Wales, Australia.

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What a glorious Sunday morning we have! I am bustling around finishing sewing a new batch of reusable tea bags, cleaning my house and preparing for a road trip this afternoon and I am sure all my energy is coming from the lovely weather!

I have just had a revelation that my road trip today and tomorrow is an opportunity to check out some new Op Shops so I am very excited! My collection of vintage cups and saucers and teapots is growing all the time but I just can’t miss a chance like this!

A summary of news in photo form - I finished the Rose Garden cosy, am in love with this vintage teacup trio and hope to find more, and am loving the fact that my reusable teabags are walking out the door at the moment! ... See MoreSee Less

This week has been a whirl of the return to school, interviewing for schools, and finding our old routine. In between I have been busy with all sorts of little pieces of making but with three different ‘works in progress ‘ I need to push on and have some finishes today! This tea cosy is still a work in progress as I still don’t have the final vision clear in my mind. Definitely a case of design as you go! Perhaps a few more roses..... ... See MoreSee Less

Okay, last week's post about being accepted to have my products in store at in.cube8r Gallery and Emporium was pretty big. But I may be topping it this week with the announcement of plans to be represented in not one but two more shops, and two more States along with it! First things first - my box of goodies is in transit to Melbourne today, and should arrive in time for the stocking of my products on 1 February. [ 1,164 more word ]

Yesterday I sent a box full of quirky tea paraphernalia (aka the stuff I make) off to take up residence at the in.cube8r gallery in Fitzroy where it will be available from 1 February. It includes earrings like these, reusable tea bags, tea infusers, tea cosies and a few other bits and bobs, so if you are in Melbourne do pop along and have a look! And if you are in Melbourne and want a custom order made up send me a message and I can arrange for you to collect it from the shop. 2018 is off to a great start! ... See MoreSee Less

Well, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and entered a tea cosy or two in the Professional category of Handicrafts at the Bungendore Show (even though I don’t feel very professional!) and my cactus tea cosy received a Highly Commended certificate so it wasn’t a complete disaster! ... See MoreSee Less